The Christmas Gifts You Wished You Had Gotten

I love science, cool gadgets, new technologies, and lifelong learning. When it comes to being a consumer of high-tech wizardry, I’m an enthusiastic early adopter. If you are too, then hopefully you got some cool presents this holiday. If instead Santa left you a lump of coal or a knitted sweater, fear not: you can treat yourself. Here are a few of my recommendations for your “indulge yourself” post-Christmas shopping (in order by price, from least expensive to most):

Discovery DNA Explorer Kit – Extract DNA and run electrophoresis and chromotagraphy experiments in the comfort of your own home! Complete with centrifuge! (Sold out on Amazon, so head to eBay instead) – $50

iBreath iPod attachment – For the gadget lover who already has every conceivable gadget… I bet you don’t have this one! Who DOESN’T need a portable breathalyzer that looks cool and hooks into your iPod? Well, I don’t. But that’s beside the point… – $80

23andme genetic analysis – Get your DNA genotyped for dozens of genetic markers. It’s not as good as getting fully sequenced, so nobody’s going to be able to clone you from the data you get back, but hey, it’s a start! 23andme was founded by the wife of Google co-founder Sergey Brin. – $400

GTD Connect subscription – I’m a huge fan of the productivity methodology known as “GTD” developed by David Allen and described in his best-selling book Getting Things Done. Here’s my quick synopsis of GTD. Any serious GTD practitioner needs a subscription to GTD Connect. – $480 (per year)